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Chapter 4: The Labyrinth
Thea, Alvyn, Berrain, Haroof, and the mysterious traveler from the Black Adder, who identified himself as Mort, had all been captured at sea by the piratical minotaurs. Bound and locked in the brig of the minotaurs' ship, the five of them had little hope of escape. Mort explained to the adventurers that very few people had ever been captured by the minotaurs and lived; he proposed an alliance, suggesting that they all had a better chance of survival if they worked together. In exchange, if and when they found a way to escape captivity, he would tell them everything he knew about the black sand and the smugglers. The adventurers wanted information up front, though, so Mort admitted that there was a plot to attack the Bazaar during the upcoming Festival of the Tides using the black sand, and that he had just arranged for a sahuagin invasion of the docks at the same time. He was unwilling to share any more details until they were safely free of the minotaurs, though. After a few days of sailing, the minotaur ship made its landing on Bull's Head Isle, and the minotaur captain and several of his crewmen came down into the brig to collect the prisoners and lead them ashore. The group was led through a minotaur village crowded with jeering spectators toward the ruins of an ancient wizard's tower, long since torn down. The pirate captain handed his prisoners off to some sort of minotaur chief, who spoke common and explained to them their situation. The group was to be placed inside a labyrinth, a maze full of deadly traps and monsters, for the minotaurs' amusement. If they could find their way to the labyrinth's exit within twenty-four hours, they would find a boat and supplies waiting for them, and they would be allowed to go free. Otherwise, they would remain in the labyrinth until they died. Once inside the maze, Mort promptly abandoned the group. The four adventurers stuck together and slowly began making their way through the winding corridors and lethal chambers. They wandered into a room with a large cage, inside of which was a young woman, apparently another prisoner who had been abandoned here. Taking the woman with them, they worked their way to a room with an enormous stone door and three keyholes. Continuing to search the maze, they ran into a goblin boss with several minions and defeated him, taking one of the keys they needed off his body. While they were recuperating from this fight, the young woman they had found within the labyrinth transformed into a hag and attempted to kill them with a surprise attack. They managed to defeat her and found another key on her person. Later, as their time grew short, they found themselves in a chamber with a monster called a spectator who had long since gone completely insane, believing that all the other denizens of the labyrinth were plotting against him. By interpreting his ramblings, the adventurers were able to learn that this labyrinth, as well as the tower that once stood above it, had been built by a powerful wizard who had left the island long ago. The spectator was bound here by the wizard to help protect his treasures, and the minotaurs were once denizens of the labyrinth as well before they escaped and took over the island. They group defeated the mad spectator and found the third and final key. Heading back to the chamber with the stone door, they opened it to find a small boat loaded with supplies waiting for them in a small cave connected to the sea. Before they could get into their boat, however, they were assaulted by a young blue dragon which nearly killed them. They managed to drive it off, but it swore vengeance as it fled. Loading up into their boat, the adventurers tended to their wounds and set out back toward Freeport.